This is a book that does what the title says, and is different from most business process mapping information in three key ways. First, it lets you capture all the knowledge that goes into a workflow in any kind of organization, including the most difficult kind of all, the tacit knowledge people bring to the job and carry in their heads. Second, it is simple, powerful, flexible, and easy to learn. Finally, this book does not require installing, learning, and applying a complicated program (sometimes requiring reorganization to support the software rather than the software supporting the organization). It was developed by the author in a 15-year-long program of studying, analyzing, and improving avionics maintenance processes for the U.S. Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and then applied to organizations of all kinds over more than two decades. It has been taught and applied by the author and others in many short courses. In short—this book works.

By showcasing the work of technical services, and the ground-breaking changes they have encountered, this edited collection provides readers with an opportunity to re-assess the opportunities and challenges for library administration, and to understand how libraries should be managed in the future.

This is a book that does what the title says, and is different from most business process mapping information in three key ways. First, it lets users capture all the knowledge that goes into a workflow in any kind of organization, including the most difficult kind of all; the tacit knowledge people bring to the job and carry in their heads. Second, it is simple, powerful, flexible, and easy to learn. Third, it does not require installing, learning, and applying a complicated program (sometimes requiring reorganization to support the software rather than the software supporting the organization). It was developed by the author in a 15-year long program of studying, analyzing, and improving avionics maintenance processes for the U.S. Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and then applied to organizations of all kinds ever since, for more than two decades. It has been taught and applied by the author and others in many short courses. It works.

This book is Volume II of simple but powerful tools for performance improvement. It is written for managers, analysts, and consultants who realize the value that system dynamic modeling can bring to companies and organizations, and would like to have that capability without a degree in math or computer science. It features the iThink modeling program, which requires no extensive knowledge of math; instead, iThink uses a small set of symbols and rules to allow any keen observer of a system to create models graphically—the user literally draws a graphic of the system within the program and works from that. In Chapter 1, the author describes his own experiences with modeling, the growth and development of modeling software, and makes the case for its value. Chapter 2 is an overview of iThink symbols and rules, sufficient to enable the reader to interpret and understand iThink models; while the program has many advanced features, a great many models are based on the fundamentals in this chapter. Chapter 3 provides guidelines for converting workflow-mapping models into iThink dynamic models, and discusses approaches to building models from scratch. This approach to modeling is consistent with the author’s approach to workflow mapping and analysis, which uses a small symbol set and related discipline to map workflows in any company or organization, without the need for expensive software or extended training. That process is described in this volume of the series, and these maps are often the foundation for modeling the system as a dynamic entity.

Almost every organization is exposed to financial risk stemming from commodity price volatility. Risk exposure may be direct, from the prices paid for raw materials transformed into products sold to customers, or indirect, from higher energy, transportation costs, and supplier commodity purchases. Managing Commodity Price Risk: A Supply Chain Perspective provides a range of approaches organizations can implement and adapt for assessing, forecasting, and managing commodity price volatility and reducing financial risk exposure associated with purchased goods and services. Understanding and managing commodity price risk is important for organizations and supply chain professionals due to the significant direct financial effects price volatility has on profitability, organizational cash flow, the ability to competitively price products, new product design, buyer–supplier relationships, and the negotiation process.

This book provides a short, concise overview of lean work design, which sees lean systems as the result of a systematic implementation of appropriate work processes. It discusses lean tools, but views tools only as a means of achieving a desirable work design and does not see the use of lean tools as a goal in themselves.

This book is for everyone who wants to make better forecasts. It is not about mathematics and statistics. It is about following a well-established forecasting process to create and implement good forecasts. This is true whether you are forecasting global markets, sales of SKUs, competitive strategy, or market disruptions. Today, most forecasts are generated using software. However, no amount of technology and statistics can compensate for a poor forecasting process. Forecasting is not just about generating a number. Forecasters need to understand the problems they are trying to solve. They also need to follow a process that is justifiable to other parties and be implemented in practice. This is what the book is about. Accurate forecasts are essential for predicting demand, identifying new market opportunities, forecasting risks, disruptions, innovation, competition, market growth and trends. Companies can navigate this daunting landscape and improve their forecasts by following some well-established principles. This book is written to provide the fundamentals business leaders need in order to make good forecasts. These fundamentals hold true regardless of what is being forecast and what technology is being used. It provides the basic foundational principles all companies need to achieve competitive forecast accuracy.

1 + 1 = 100 guides readers through developing, implementing, and maintaining close relationships within their own company (employees, design engineering, product development, sales and marketing, operations, and supply chain) as well out outside (suppliers, customers, and the community). By avoiding overreliance on cost reduction measures and instead developing partnerships, the company, and its partners can achieve world-class profitability and cash flow. For more than 30 years, the focus in industry has been to improve productivity and cut costs using approaches like Lean Thinking, World Class Manufacturing, Reengineering, Strategic Supply Chain strategies, and off-shoring. Unlike the techniques that these process improvement methods espouse, partnerships go beyond correcting mistakes or solving problems; they entail looking at the big picture and building on each partner’s strengths, making breakthrough results possible for all stakeholders in the relationship. 1 + 1 = 100 speaks directly to operations and supply chain executives in manufacturing and distribution environments, but the concepts are essential for all members of the executive team in any industry that has an operations component and suppliers.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) is increasing its presence in our personal and business lives—you name it and RFID is likely to be finding its way there. RFID has many advantages over other auto-ID technologies, including its ability to read tags at the item level while the items are still in boxes and pallets and out of line of sight. In addition, RFID tags are reusable, which helps reduce the costs associated with an RFID system. RFID is a technology that can provide decision makers with real-time information to result in better and timelier decisions. It can help increase efficiency, security, and asset control. This second edition contains updated information on the technology and its uses, new and updated examples, and a new case study. This book provides readers with no prior knowledge of RFID with the basics of the technology, guidelines for considering its use, examples of how RFID is being used effectively in a variety of organizations, and guidelines for implementing an RFID system.

Most decisions and plans in a firm require a forecast. Not matching supply with demand can make or break any business, and that's why forecasting is so invaluable. Forecasting can appear as a frightening topic with many arcane equations to master. For this reason, the authors start out from the very basics and provide a non-technical overview of common forecasting techniques as well as organizational aspects of creating a robust forecasting process. The book also discusses how to measure forecast accuracy to hold people accountable and guide continuous improvement. This book does not require prior knowledge of higher mathematics, statistics, or operations research. It is designed to serve as a first introduction to the non-expert, such as a manager overseeing a forecasting group, or an MBA student who needs to be familiar with the broad outlines of forecasting without specializing in it.